Nuoding Academy.
Mu Chen was about to head back to his office when a petite figure suddenly leaped out from around the corner and blocked his way.
"Xiao Wu?"
"Hehe! Did I scare you?"
Xiao Wu giggled.
Mu Chen smiled faintly and reached out to pinch Xiao Wu's soft, rosy cheek.
"Come on, I'm hungry!"
"Let's go eat!"
Xiao Wu pulled Mu Chen toward the cafeteria.
Mu Chen blinked in surprise.
"Didn't I give you a Gold Soul Coin before I left?"
Xiao Wu smiled sheepishly. "I treated everyone in the dorm to a meal yesterday, so I spent it all."
Mu Chen chuckled. "Let me guess... You probably did more than just that, didn't you?"
At that, Xiao Wu immediately looked pleased with herself. "I'm the boss of everyone in Dorm Seven now!"
"You never do anything useful. All you know is how to recruit underlings." Mu Chen picked Xiao Wu up and smacked her twice on the bottom.
"Ah! That hurts! You actually spanked me!"
Xiao Wu's face turned red as she glared back at Mu Chen, both embarrassed and angry.
Although Xiao Wu had already taken Mu Chen as her master, the concept of respecting one's teacher was foreign to her. In that regard, she was nothing like Tang San.
Mu Chen set Xiao Wu down and said calmly, "I'm your teacher. It's my right to discipline you."
Xiao Wu rubbed her bottom and snapped, her face red, "Then I won't be your disciple anymore!"
Mu Chen waved a hand. "That won't do. Once a teacher, always a teacher. That's the rule."
"Huh?!" Xiao Wu blinked.
Mu Chen took Xiao Wu's hand and led her toward the cafeteria. "To make it up to you, I'll buy you a meal."
Xiao Wu muttered, "That's more like it..."
He'd already hit her. If she missed out on food too, wouldn't she have taken those smacks for nothing?
"Your Soul Power seems to have increased quite a bit," Mu Chen remarked casually.
Xiao Wu smiled but didn't explain.
Mu Chen didn't bother asking. Xiao Wu's cultivation talent surpassed Tang San's, and he hoped she would cultivate faster so she could bring him more rewards.
He cleared his throat. "After we eat, come to my office. I'll nourish your body and open up your meridians. That should speed up your cultivation."
Xiao Wu readily agreed. "Sure!"
"Teacher... Does nourishing my body really have to be done like this?"
The evening glow streamed through the window and spilled into the quiet, elegant office. The doors and windows were shut, sealing out all the noise from outside.
On the sofa in the bedroom, Xiao Wu bit her lip lightly. As Mu Chen approached step by step, she sat stiffly, suddenly regretting her decision.
"Of course. Relax, it'll be fine."
Mu Chen walked up to Xiao Wu with a gentle, soothing voice. He slowly reached out, laid her back, and then let Soul Power flow into his palms before placing them on her.
Xiao Wu's eyes drifted shut, her long lashes trembling softly. Her ears flushed crimson, and her slender hands nervously clutched the hem of her skirt.
Xiao Wu called out in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
"Mm... Teacher..."
A wave of comfort spread through her body, and she felt herself relax all over.
Pure, gentle, pale-golden Radiant Dragon King Soul Power, brimming with vitality, appeared in Mu Chen's hands and flowed softly over Xiao Wu's delicate body.
Xiao Wu's cheeks flushed scarlet, and a faint pink blush spread across her neck. Her body curled up slightly on instinct, and her breathing grew faint and quick.
"Relax. Don't be nervous."
"This process will take a long time."
Mu Chen remained focused.
It felt as if a little rabbit were frantically hopping around in Xiao Wu's chest. Too embarrassed to open her eyes, she murmured in a soft, bashful voice, "Teacher, your hands... are so warm... My whole body feels soft and tingly..."
"That's right."
Mu Chen stayed focused, controlling his Soul Power with perfect precision as it seeped into every part of Xiao Wu.
The Radiant Dragon King's Soul Power was sacred and radiant. To Soul Masters without evil or dark attributes, it was an excellent tonic.
Xiao Wu's cheeks burned, and her fingertips curled slightly. She pressed her lips together shyly and murmured, "Teacher... I think that's enough. Can we stop now?"
Although the warmth throughout her body felt so comfortable that she didn't want to leave Mu Chen's hands, something still felt strange to her, and her heart wouldn't stop racing.
"Don't rush. We still have two hours to go."
Mu Chen kept a focused expression as he gave her a time frame.
"Does it really take that long?"
"It'll be dark in two hours..."
Xiao Wu slowly lifted her head and glanced at Mu Chen. A faint mist gathered in her eyes, and her cheeks were unusually red.
Mu Chen nodded solemnly.
Two hours later, the pale-golden glow slowly faded, and Mu Chen withdrew all his Soul Power.
Xiao Wu had fallen asleep on the sofa.
"Phew!"
Mu Chen let out a sigh of relief. Looking at Xiao Wu, fast asleep, he smiled faintly.
"I should get down to business too!"
Then,
Mu Chen began absorbing the life-bound Soul Ring granted by the system, breaking through to Soul Ancestor.
A night passed.
That life-bound Soul Ring had turned black, reaching ten thousand years—the limit Mu Chen could withstand.
Just then,
Xiao Wu suddenly woke up. When she opened her eyes, she saw Mu Chen absorbing his Soul Ring.
"This is..."
Xiao Wu drew in a sharp breath, her face changing.
"Could he... be a Soul Beast in human form too?"
"He must be. Otherwise, he couldn't have condensed a Soul Ring on his own!"
Right then, the ten-thousand-year life-bound Soul Ring merged into Mu Chen's body.
Mu Chen had indeed broken through to Soul Ancestor, and his Soul Power Level had reached rank fifty.
The Radiant Dragon King's phantom appeared behind Mu Chen. Along with it came four Soul Rings—three purple and one black—all of which Xiao Wu saw clearly.
"Hiss!"
Mu Chen noticed the sound Xiao Wu made.
He opened his eyes and looked at her with a faint smile. "When did you wake up?"
Thinking of what Mu Chen had done earlier, Xiao Wu blushed with embarrassment. "Just now."
Mu Chen put away his Martial Soul and four Soul Rings, then smiled. "How do you feel?"
Xiao Wu lowered her gaze and nodded gently. "Good. It feels really comfortable..."
Mu Chen sat down beside Xiao Wu and gently stroked her scorpion braid.
"So... do you want to continue today?"
"Sure~"
Even Xiao Wu's ears had turned bright red.
Mu Chen glanced at the time. "It's almost time for class. Go to class first, then come here for dinner afterward."
Xiao Wu nodded repeatedly, quickly put on and straightened her uniform, then hurried out of Mu Chen's office with a red face and headed for the classroom.
All the while, she kept thinking about Mu Chen absorbing his Soul Ring.
"Rank forty-nine. That's fast!"
Feeling his Soul Power, Mu Chen couldn't help smiling.
A few days ago, he had only been rank thirty-nine.
Now that he'd taken Xiao Wu and Tang San as disciples, he'd shot straight up to rank forty-nine!
His Martial Soul had evolved too!
And he'd obtained cultivation techniques and martial skills!
The future looked bright!
"Finding the next target in Nuoding City won't be easy at all!"
Mu Chen sighed.
Suddenly,
he thought of Tang San's mother.
Before you continue